GUWAHATI: Despite a ban on electronic cigarettes by the Central government in 2019, e-cigarettes are available in tobacco shops and are even sold to children below 18 years of age revealed a survey conducted by Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum, Assam supported by Consumer VOICE, New Delhi.
Considering the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes and the alarming rise in their prevalence amongst youth, the Centre prohibited the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement, of electronic cigarettes which includes all forms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, Heat Not Burn Products, e-Hookah and the like devices, by whatever name called and whatever shape, size or form it may have, by the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019, which was introduced as an ordinance and later formalized into an Act in 2019.
A survey and sample collection were done to ascertain evidence of the violation of the e-cigarette ban wherein shops/vendors were randomly selected for the investigation.
The survey was conducted and evidence was gathered through both online and offline modes. The field investigators observed the availability of e-cigarettes, verification of age, and checked on the awareness of the e-cigarette ban among vendors and subsequent penalties in case found guilty among other observations.
“The addiction to nicotine and harmful chemicals present in e-cigarettes can have a detrimental impact on the physical and mental development of young individuals. It’s time to take action to protect our youth from the dangers of e-cigarettes,” said Ashim Sanyal, Chief Executive Officer, of Consumer VOICE, New Delhi, as quoted by the media.
“The ban on electronic cigarettes was introduced to protect our younger generation from a new form of toxic addiction. However, its enforcement has been weak, resulting in the market being flooded with cheap and unbranded Chinese made e-cigarettes. Thus, a coordinated effort at the Central and state level is urgently needed to ensure the ban is effective,” media quoted Ajoy Hazarika, a lawyer and secretary, of Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum, Assam.
In a recent directive to states/UTs, the Centre highlighted the weak implementation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act 2019 (PECA), leading to its easy availability through online, retail, convenience stores, stationery shops and near educational institutions.
